In his 28th year of teaching, Michael Lysinger is the Head Choral Director at J. J. Pearce High School and for five years directed the Youth Choir at First United Methodist Church in Richardson, Texas.

Prior to teaching in Richardson, Michael was the Head Director at Plano East Senior High School and Jersey Village High School in Houston, Texas. While in Houston, Michael was also the Artistic Director of the Houston Boychoir. Choirs under his direction have appeared at the 2008 and 1996 Texas Music Educators Convention, the 2001 American Choral Directors Convention and most recently at the 2010 Southwest Convention of the American Choral Directors. He has prepared his choruses for performances with the Houston Symphony and the University of Houston Choruses and the UH Opera. His choirs have toured around the nation including New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles and abroad to Italy and Mexico City.

In competition, Michael’s choirs earn consistently high ratings and awards for their performances. As a member of TMEA, he has served as Region Chair, Area Chair, Region Choir Organizer and as a section leader for the All-State Choir. In 2013, Michael was selected as STARS Teacher of the Year for Pearce High School. Michael received his Bachelor of Music Education from Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas and is a member of ACDA, TMEA, TCDA and TMAA. He has two children - Abby, a 9th grader in the Pearce Choir program and Zachary, a 3rd grader.

Laura Taylor has been teaching in the RISD for 23 years. She was choral director of the Richardson West Junior High Choirs from 1991 to 2000 and also served as accompanist for the Richardson High School Choral Department. In 2000, Laura took a “hiatus” from choral directing and became a corporate trainer, working with emergency room physicians. She returned to the choral classroom in 2003 and spent two years as the Associate Choral Director at North Junior High in Richardson. Since 2005, Laura has served as the Associate Choral Director at J.J. Pearce High School, working with Mr. Michael Lysinger.

At Pearce, Laura directs the JV Mixed Choir and Bella Voce and serves as the accompanist for the other PHS choirs. Her choirs earn consistently high ratings for performances. In addition to her duties at Pearce, Laura is frequently requested as an accompanist and has played for numerous Region choirs, RISD area choirs, area high school musicals, and solo performers. Mrs. Taylor also co-sponsors the PHS Starting Off Strong Program, an initiative that trains select seniors to mentor and support freshmen through their first year of high school.

In 1997, Laura was honored to receive recognition from West Junior High as their Teacher of the Year and from the RISE Foundation as the 1996-1997 Secondary Teacher of the Year for the RISD.

​Laura is a product of the RISD, attending Richardson schools and graduating from Richardson High School in 1981. She received her Bachelor of Music Education degree from Oklahoma Baptist University in 1985. Laura is married to Kent and they have two children, Kelsey Wilhoit (PHS ’07), a Speech Pathologist in Dallas, and Kyle (PHS ’15), a freshman pitching for the Hill College Rebels.